Indian Floods Kill 2, Force 15,000 To Evacuate

Massive flooding has forced 15,000
people to evacuate villages in the west
Indian state of Gujarat, where heavy
rains and swollen rivers have inundated
cities and closed off roads and railway
lines. Officials say two people have died in
flood-related incidents. Schools across the districts of Bharuch,
Vadodara and Surat remained closed
Wednesday, while fire brigades, police
and disaster response teams were
working to rescue people. People waded through thigh-deep water
on the streets of the state’s main city of
Ahmedabad, where waterlogged cars and
buses became stranded. In the city of Vadodara, animal activists
say at least four crocodiles have been
recovered from roads and courtyards. The floods followed heavy rains that
caused rivers including the Vishwamitri
and the Narmada to swell above levels
considered safe.